


Feels Like Homecoming

by xxDreamy



Series: Malec Flufftober 2019 [8]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Childhood, Childhood Friends, Comics, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 20:17:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20954303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxDreamy/pseuds/xxDreamy
Summary: Years ago two best friends made a promise to never read a comic book without the other. Alec kept his promise but now, he really wants to finish the story. The only way to do it is to find Magnus.That's exactly what Alec does.





	Feels Like Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> To be honest, I am disappointed with this one. I know something is really wrong with it but I can't find what bothers me. Forgive me all my mistakes, I really tried my best but it looks like it didn't work out well.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy it anyway! <3
> 
> D.

Alec sits on his bed staring at the ceiling. It’s what he has been doing for the last few days. Being unemployed is hard. Being fired is harder. He knows he saved money for moments like this but he still can’t believe he has to use them instead of his monthly salary. A part of him is grateful for leaving the place but there is also a part which doesn’t know what he is supposed to do right now. He has been working in this firm for four years by now, dedicating his every second to it, even though he hated it with his whole soul. Following in his father’s footsteps has never been something he imagined himself doing but his coming-out was hard and he felt like he owned his parents something for ruining their life while they were the ones ruining his. He realized it after some time and the first thing he did was changing the people he worked for. It’s not like his new workplace was better than the first one but at least, it didn’t include his parents as CEOs. Being a Lightwood who worked for others, well, it wasn’t his dreamy scenario but he was more than able to survive, focused on his own well-being and the thought going back would mean pretending to be _normal _and Alec would never be able to do it again.

Long, blank days slowly become a burden and Alec can’t find his place. He ends up doing weird things, reading books and watching movies he would never choose. He tries to _try_ and find anything, change something in his daily routine but each attempt feels useless. He wants to take a risk, to really make a change but he doesn’t feel capable of it.

He gets up from the bed and heads for his closet, ready to actually move and at least, clean up his room but when he stands in front of it, his eyes lay on boxes he keeps on top of it. He takes down one of them and opens it to find his old camera and thousand of photos he took as a child. He really loved photography in primary school and always wished to become a professional photographer when he gets older. It didn’t work out but now, Alec is overcome by this nostalgic feeling of some great loss. He puts the box down and looks up again to find another bigger one there. He takes the huge dusty box in his hands, just as heavy as it was when Alec was a kid. He sits on the floor and looks at it, wiping the lid to brush the dust down. He smiles to himself, his fingers caressing the carton. It has been so long since the last time he looked inside it and he suddenly feels overwhelmed by the wave of emotions that hit him. He sighs shakily and lifts the lid, his eyes glued to comics he finds there. Some of them are presents, some of them were bought by his own money when he mowed his neighbor’s lawn and some of them he got by exchanging his own with his friends’ ones. All of them have their own history and Alec is pretty sure there is even one he took from the library and _forgot _to give back. He was so scared someone would actually ask him to give it back but fortunately, no one had ever noticed this missing item. He had a bunch of them, mostly superheroes ones like Marvel and DC but he didn’t mind diving into Garfield or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ worlds. Reading comics has always been his biggest hobby and to this day, he actually regrets abandoning it.

He takes out a comic book that is on top, one from Spiderman series he loved so much and also the one that ended his journey with comics. It has dog ears and its cover is a little faded. A small bulge between the pages tells Alec that his makeshift bookmark is still there. He opens it and his eyes rest on the old photo he took with his friend ages ago. The polaroid looks like new. If Alec didn’t know better, he would believe it was taken yesterday. Magnus’ bright face and his shining brown eyes stare at Alec from the small photograph and he smiles, noticing how big this young Alec’s grin was. He had this rule with Magnus, since the day they met and bonded over their love for comics, that they would never read another comic book without the other. It was much easier to make their collection complete when they both could buy different books at the same time. This Spiderman one Alec got during summer fifteen years ago, on the day his parents announced they would move to another city. Izzy, who was nine at that time, got the biggest dollhouse Alec has ever seen. Jace, who was fascinated with Star Wars, received a lightsaber he couldn’t shut up about. Max was only few months old so he ended up having a new blanket his mother chose and Alec was given his dreamy comic he asked for almost a year. All because they wanted to make it up to them. None of them, except Alec, complained at that time. But Alec… All he wanted was to stay in his home town and never leave his best friend but his wishes could never come true. They were reading this comic on the day Alec was supposed to move out and they didn’t have enough time to finish it. They took two photographs that afternoon and tucked them in their comics, Magnus joking about how they would meet up to finish the story. They never have. Alec has never opened his comics again.

Now, however, when his eyes are glued to the photo, he wonders, _he really wonders, _if they ever could if they tried. He turns the photograph and notices some letters on the white paper. It’s an address. It’s _Magnus’_ address. He remembers it. His fingers hover over the numbers while his mind is rushing, one thought after another. _Should he?_

He gets up from the floor and throws his jacket on his body, catching a comic book in his hand. His life is messy enough right now, he can’t ruin it harder by following this path.

It’s stupid and it’s crazy but Alec is ready to finish this story.

He parks his car in front of a big white house with a garden he spent so much time in when he was a kid. He gets out and heads for the door. He freezes in front of it and stares at the small red heart hanging on it. He made a similar one for his parents when they were in primary school but they had never cared enough to put it anywhere. It warms his heart to see it on the door after so many years. Magnus’ mum has always been a sweetheart and if he’s honest, he treated her more like a mother than his own. He knocks lightly and bites his lips, anxiously waiting for someone to open the door. After few seconds he hears quiet footsteps and an old woman appears in the doorframe, smiling brightly at Alec.

“Hello, Mrs. Bane”, he greets her, the corners of his lips raising slightly. “My name is-”

“Alexander Lightwood”, she interrupts him, her beautiful brown eyes shining in a daylight. “I can’t believe you’re here again”, she tells him, grinning widely at him. “Come in, darling. I’m going to make some tea. We have so much to catch up with!”, she announces and turns around, disappearing into the kitchen. Alec follows her slowly, closing the door behind himself, his mouth still hanging open at her reaction.

“How did you know it’s me?”, he asks her, leaning against the wall.

“Your eyes, honey”, Amisha answers, her voice cheerful. “No one could ever have eyes like yours”, she adds, convinced. “You’ve changed, I admit. You’re much taller than you were but just as handsome”, she jokes, handing him the teacup and motioning at the couch.

“Thank you”, Alec replies, trying to hide his blush. An old lady won’t make him look like that, even boys can’t force it onto his face. “You haven’t changed at all”, he compliments her and she erupts into laughter.

“I’ll overlook this small lie”, she smiles, sitting on the couch. “How have you been?”, she prompts, sipping her tea. Alec makes a face, a grimace he tries to cover with his cup. “Oh, I see”, she sighs tiredly and Alec wants to do the same. “But you know how it is, an old lady can be a good listener”, she offers and Alec beams at her.

“My life has been a mess lately”, he confesses and she looks at him, her eyes comforting and calm, prompting him to share more. “I lost my job and I realized I wasn’t even doing something I liked”, he tells her honestly.

“That’s why you came back to your roots?”, she asks and Alec moves his hazel irises at her, thinking about the question.

“Maybe? I don’t know. I just felt like I needed to get out”, he admits and she nods, understanding present on her features.

“We all feel like that, darling, sometimes you just need to stop and look for a different path to follow”, she advices, taking a sip of her tea. “What do you actually like doing?”, she questions and Alec sighs, something sharp hurting his chest.

“I don’t know and that’s the case. The only hobbies I’ve ever had was reading comics and photography”, she laughs lightly at it, tapping his hand.

“You and your comics”, she smiles fondly, her brown eyes glued to Alec’s. “Why don’t you go back to it?”, she asks him and he shakes his head, defeated.

“Can’t really earn money on reading comic books”, he tells her and she pats his arm.

“Not comics, photography”, she corrects him. “You were really good, I would say amazing for a kid, and I think you could be better”

“I don’t know”, Alec admits sadly.

“Can’t hurt to try”, she grins at him and he nods, folding his fingers together.

“Maybe I will”, he answers, staring at the wall which is decorated with photos. He is surprised to see himself in the small frame, his smile wide and bright. There are many photos from their childhood but there are also ones that were taken years after Alec left the town. At first, Alec notices a teenage face of a boy he could never forget and then, there is the same handsome person but in adult body, hugging his mother tightly. Magnus has changed and yet, it feels like he didn’t change at all. Mrs. Bane notices his new struggle and moves her eyes at the photos.

“He’s coming back today”, Amisha informs him and Alec looks at her, her words slowly coming into his brain. “His dreams came true and he ended up traveling around the world”, she announces with pride in her voice. “He is visiting countries in Europe and writing articles for tabloids. Few weeks for one country and then a break. I can see him more often now when his schedule is clear. He lives in New York now and works for one of magazines in the city”, she explains and Alec almost gapes at her.

“He does?”, he asks, not hiding his surprise.

“Yes, he moved few years ago for college and he stayed there”, she tells him. Alec only nods, lost in his thoughts. “He should be home any moment, I thought you came to see him”, she says and he looks at her, wide-eyed.

“No, I-”, he starts, playing with his fingers. “I don’t know what I wanted, maybe I hoped I could see him”, he shrugs, not looking her in the eyes. She laughs lightly and Alec notes something different in her voice but doesn’t pay much attention to it.

Before he can say anything more, he hears the door opening and someone calling from the doorway. “Hey, mama, I’m home”, a deep but hoarse voice announces happily and Amisha stands up, heading out from the living room.

He doesn’t know what they talk about but a few seconds later, a handsome man appears in the doorframe, a bag hanging from his shoulder. His brown eyes are just like the ones Alec remembered but Magnus seems to be much different than on photos. The pictures don’t do him justice at all

“Hey”, Alec breathes out, speechless. He jumps from the couch and adjusts his jacket. 

“Hi”, Magnus says slowly, his lips widening into a smile Alec quickly reciprocates. “I would ask what you’re doing here but mum was pretty clear about it”, he laughs lightly. Alec lifts his eyebrows at him and Magnus just shrugs, something shining in his eyes. He takes out his comic from his pocket and shows it to him.

“I actually came to finish this”, he admits and Magnus snorts, shaking his head with amusement. Alec joins him eagerly, feeling relaxed for the first time in a long while.

“You’re staying for dinner, right?”, Amisha asks from the kitchen and Alec opens his mouth to answer.

“He is, mama!”, Magnus shouts before he can say anything. “He’s staying”, he repeats and moves his brown irises on Alec. He grins widely, plumping down on the couch and Magnus joins him, resting his elbow on the headrest. “I chose a good day to come home”, he whispers to himself and Alec wonders if he is aware he said it out loud.

He really can’t wait to finish this story with Magnus and, maybe, start a new long one which becomes his next path.

For the first time in forever, Alec really knows what to do.


End file.
